Favorite hobby? Naps

I have a lot of things I like to do. I like to take baths, read books and take naps in various locations such as my bed, my couch, any other available couch, airport terminals and hotel rooms. Occasionally I'll combine several of my favorite activities by reading a book in the bathtub until I fall asleep. I have awoken, many ...

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By Zoe Abel

DailyTidings.com

By Zoe Abel

Posted Aug. 26, 2013 at 2:00 AM

By Zoe Abel

Posted Aug. 26, 2013 at 2:00 AM

» Social News

I have a lot of things I like to do. I like to take baths, read books and take naps in various locations such as my bed, my couch, any other available couch, airport terminals and hotel rooms. Occasionally I'll combine several of my favorite activities by reading a book in the bathtub until I fall asleep. I have awoken, many times, with my wet book on my chest while lying in what is now room-temperature water. Don't worry, no book is at risk for permanent harm, I only take the cheap paperbacks into the bath with me and later lie them fanned out in the sunshine to dry, competing for windowsill space with my cats.

My boyfriend, Eric, has very different hobbies than I. And usually his hobbies are things that involve other people. Along with car racing, University of Oregon football, golf, fishing, and barbecuing, Eric also is in a bowling league. On a recent weekend, his bowling league had its final weekend of bowling in Reno, Nev., and I tagged along for the trip.

We left for Reno after I had finished my workday, meaning we didn't hit the road until after 8 in the evening. I didn't do any of the driving because I have a history of wrecking cars and Eric was understandably concerned for my safety because he's wonderful and sweet like that. No, actually he's just one of those people who keeps his car clean and dent-free and wants me as peripherally involved in the life of his car as possible. So, although I wasn't driving, I knew it would be rude to curl up and nap in the backseat for the entire five-hour drive, so I sipped my energy drink, made conversation and sang along to the radio. By the time we arrived in Reno it was after 1 in the morning.

We checked into the hotel, I gazed longingly at the bed and started to take off my shoes in preparation for my longest and most favorite nap of the day, bedtime.

Eric was so excited to show me around the hotel and casino. We looked at the shops, Eric played a hand of blackjack, and we walked up and down hallways filled with people who were also awake. I was shocked. Eric proudly announced that the last time he was in Reno for a bowling tournament he didn't sleep for two days because there was so much going on. "We can't go back to the hotel room, we'll miss something!" was his constant refrain. Uh, we're obviously missing something, we're missing my required 16 hours of sleep that I need daily.

In the end we had a good weekend. I lost exactly $2 playing the nickel slots and ate bubblegum ice cream. We spent one day in Virginia City, Nev., which was built around several old silver mines and we rode on a train, which was nice, though the hard, wooden benches didn't make for very good napping conditions. We ate food, saw friends — and I didn't take a single bath.

After six months together I think that Eric still holds out hope that I have some sort of exciting pasttime which involves other people. I don't, though the fishing and the car racing are starting to grow on me. In the spirit of compromise and maintaining our relationship, Eric is even willing to sometimes miss out on whatever exciting thing is happening out there in the big wide world and take a little nap with me.

Zoe Abel just finished with her first nap of the day and is eagerly awaiting her next two. You can contact her at dailyzoe@gmail.com.